All Mayan Downloads > Calakmul > Dynasty Pots

The "Dynasty Pots", Parallel Texts and Analysis

Here are a few previous analyses of this set of pots, and a few articles on Calakmul.
Simon Martin 1997 "The Painted King List. A Commentary on Dynastic Vases"
      in The Maya Vase Books, volume 5 pp.847-867, by Justin Kerr.
Stan Guenter [on a Uaxactun vessel with 7th-Baktun date; add citation or link here].
Stan Guenter 2003 "El Mirador and Teotihuacan: The Cultural Foundations of Classic Maya Civilization"
     in the Smoking Mirror (newsletter of the Pre-Columbian Society of Washington D.C.), July 2005 pp.5-8
     (transcribed by Wm. Puppa; not on details of these pots, but sets the general scene)

If you wish to strengthen your skills in analyzing this kind of text, you can attempt analysis on your own,
at first without reading what others have written on this subject.
And then again attempt to improve your analysis after each article you read by someone else..
There is still more that can be done.

Here are a set of questions for those who wish to study these Dynasty pots, and two additional analyses them.

Ways of analyzing multiple versions of a single text -- please click here.

A spreadhsheet arrangement which is best for comparing variations in dates and glyphs for each ruler is here.
This also shows how the Dynasty pots fall roughly into two groups, possibly desending from two variants of the tradition. The first group show almost entirely possible dates (3 out of 19 reconstruct to impossible dates). The second group show almost entirely dates which are not possible, because the day in the month is incompatible with the day name in the Tzolkín. Current version 28 July, 2008. This should be printed as single pages, then arranged left-to-right.

For an analysis based on that, treating these as variants of a textual tradition going back to a single original manuscript, and discussion of where errors may have orisen, please click here. Current version 15 July, 2008.

For a suggested chronological framework, without a lock to the long count (shifts either later or earlier by multiples of a Calendar Round are possible), please click here. This is based on the first group of pots, those which record almost only standard dates. This also includes a suggested interpretation for the distance number at the end of the text of K6751. Date of this version 21 September, 2008.

Solving Caldendric Errors:
When there appear to be contradictions in chronology recorded on Mayan monuments, it is wise to step back a bit and become conscious of what one is assuming is correct. A simplest first step is outlined here in attempting to make sense of the distance number at the end of the longest text of the "Dynasty Pot" sequence.

For an alternative (older) arrangement, please click here. Current version 28 July, 2008. This should be printed as four single pages, then arranged left-to-right so matching rulers are properly lined up.

These documents are Copyright © 2008 Lloyd B. Anderson. All Rights Reserved, with this one exception:
Individuals may make a single copy for their individual private use only, but only directly from this web site, so that it will always be the latest version.